Lean On Me
by Kenya Starflight
Summary: When the Empire declares Darth Vader missing in action, the Alliance sends Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to find him. But all is not what it seems on this mission...
1. Chapter 1

**Lean On Me**

**Kenya Starflight**

_Rated T for violence and intense sequences_

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fic has been written in response to the "Vader MIA" challenge put forth by the Luke/Vader writer's group. The requirements of the challenge are to write a story in which Vader goes MIA, and Luke decides – or is ordered – to go find him._

_Don't worry about slow updates to "Walk Like Men" – this story is going to be fairly short._

_Katherine, a winner of the story contest on my blog back in March, was third runner-up and so had the opportunity to name a character. Commander Leola (which means "lioness") has been named by her._

**Chapter I**

Legend had it that the last time the sun had managed to break through the cloud cover that eternally enveloped the planet of Jabesh, the indigenous tribes had decided it was the end of the world, panicked, and committed mass suicide, leaving behind an entire nation's worth of ghost towns.

Whether or not the legend was true, it at least prepared the listener for two of Jabesh's main features – the seemingly endless overcast days and constant rainstorms, and the spectacular ruins that dotted the planet's sole continent, overgrown with greenery but still almost entirely intact.

The shuttle _Amalthea _touched down in a cobbled courtyard that was surrounded on three sides by tangled, feral jungle and on the fourth by a magnificent building that seemed to be a temple of some sort. Jabesh was an archeologist's haven despite its endless torrents of rain, and regular visitors to this region jokingly referred to the courtyard as "Temple Spaceport." The courtyard was so frequently used by arriving ships that only a petition from the Galactic Ancient History Preservation Society kept entrepreneurs from installing modern docking equipment and making a quick credit.

But the _Amalthea _carried no archeologists, and its passengers cared little for ancient history. Theirs was a more pressing mission, with a more tangible goal.

With a hiss the shuttle's gangplank lowered, and the gleaming steel boots of the Dark Lord strode across the rain-slicked cobblestones, crushing the greenery that had wedged up between them. Close behind came the cautious tread of stormtroopers, their every sense attuned to the jungle and ruins. Rain sloughed down from the iron-colored sky, pouring down black and white armor until the metal shone with a high gloss.

Vader paused to regard the abandoned temple, heedless of the rain even as it dripped from the edges of his domed helmet and soaked into his cloak. Except for a haze of green moss and ivy on the stonework and a toppled column on the left side of the doorway, the building was intact. It wasn't difficult to puzzle out the forms of the major deities of the vanished natives – lizards, serpents, turtles, and larger and more exotic reptiles were carved into the stone. Images of snakes and lizards wound around the columns and pillars, and twin statues of fierce bipedal reptilians flanked the open doorway. A winged draconian gargoyle crowned the peaked roof of the temple, and even the cracked, vegetation-rimmed cobblestones under Vader's feet had been carefully crafted to resemble the plates of a turtle's shell.

He turned and motioned for the troops to close in. Why a fugitive Jedi would choose to conceal himself in the temple of an extinct race of snake-worshipers was beyond his understanding.

Commander Leola stood at Vader's side, weapon-arm held loosely to one side, awaiting a command.

"Assign some men to guard the shuttle," he ordered. "I'll take four with me into the temple. Lead the rest in a sweep through the jungle."

"Yes, sir," she replied, nodding. Leola was one of the few female conscripts in the Empire's forces, and under normal circumstances she would have been the unwilling recipient of brutal hazing, pranks, and far worse abuse at the hands of her sexist officers and comrades. But Vader had recognized Leola's potential as a cunning strategist, and he had selected her to lead his personal troops, much to the disgust and shock of the entire Imperial Army.

"If I may ask," she continued, "what are we looking for?"

"Any sign of a Jedi," he replied. "Report to me if you find anything suspicious."

"If we find the Jedi, do you want him dead or alive?"

"Either is acceptable."

She nodded and strode away as casually as if she were walking through a shopping mall and not a sodden jungle where a renegade Jedi lay in hiding. Her relaxed stance could fool a potential target, but not her superior. No matter how casual or inattentive she appeared to be, she could assume a battle stance and be firing a blaster in each hand in less than a second. Another reason she had been appointed to her current position.

He left Leola and her men to their work and strode into the temple, followed by four alert stormtroopers. The hiss of rain on metal ceased as they entered the chill darkness, replaced by the hollow drip of a slow leak. Pale lizards no longer than his hand slithered over the damp stone, fleeing their sudden intrusion with thin hisses of dismay. A slate-colored snake as thick around as a man's leg glided away at a more sedate pace.

Vader ignited his lightsaber, the crimson blade illuminating their path and casting a red gleam on the damp walls and floor. Somewhere in these halls, a Jedi was hiding. How this Jedi had survived this long he didn't know, but that oversight would shortly be corrected.

Water sloshed beneath his feet as he progressed deeper into the temple. When his master had ordered him to Jabesh to seek out Jedi Knight Kolton Nova, he had initially balked at the order. Surely the search for young Skywalker took precedence over a single rogue Jedi on a backwater like this. Why not let a Death Squad or even Boba Fett handle this and let Vader continue his search?

"Skywalker does indeed pose a threat to the Empire," the Emperor had acknowledged. "But at this point, a half-trained teenage hotshot is less a danger to us than a fully trained, experienced Jedi like Kolton Nova. Find and destroy him, then you may resume your search for the boy."

Vader slashed through a thick, sticky web left across a doorway by some arachnid. Wherever Nova was hiding, he couldn't stay concealed for long. The sooner Vader was rid of the man, the sooner he could resume his search...

The deadly hum of another weapon coming to life cut across his senses, and he whirled in time to see a hapless stormtrooper bisected at chest level by a bloodshine blade. The remaining three soldiers turned and raised their weapons, only to be felled by laser fire.

_So Kolton Nova has found allies, _Vader thought, unimpressed. _He hopes to be the slayer and not the slain. We'll see about that._

A robed and hooded form detached itself from the shadows and stepped forward, robes dragging in the water that layered the floor, scarlet weapon raised and ready. Vader did not question why a Jedi would be wielding red-bladed saber; he would have to solve that puzzle later. Lifting his own blade, he reached out for the Force, his ally, to aid him.

It did not respond.

Vader's opponent slashed at his chest. Stunned by his sudden inability to touch the Force, he barely blocked the blow in time. Put on the defensive, he was hard-pressed to protect himself from the frenzied hacks and stabs of his foe. Again he attempted to summon the Force, and again he came upon only a barrier. What was going on here?

Shattering pain exploded at the base of his spine and shot like lightning through his nerves and up his spinal cord. His legs folded beneath him, and he fell to the flooded floor of the temple like a toppled statue. He had no time to feel anger or fear – his world was going black already.

The last thing he saw was a hooded form regarding him, and the last he heard was the being's voice:

"Good work, men. Secure the area and leave none of his men alive. But leave HIM to me."

_Break..._

Hundreds of light years away, in a chamber hewn out of solid ice, a young man shot bolt upright in his heavy thermal wraps, drenched in sweat despite the freezing air, his limbs still trembling with the pain he had experienced moments before.

Luke Skywalker gasped for breath as he tried to focus on the nightmare. Somehow it had just seemed so real... as if it weren't just a dream, but a premonition... But the more he struggled to recall details, the blurrier the dream became in his mind's eye. All he could remember was rain, red light, and that horrible pain coursing through his body like fire...

At length he kicked away the thermal wraps and slipped out of Rogue Squadron's sleeping quarters and to the nearest refresher to change out of his sweat-dampened night clothes. No use giving himself hypothermia over this mess. And even if the dream had come as a warning of some kind, there was little he could do about it now.

He pulled on clean, dry night clothes, then snuck back into bed. Tomorrow he would inform General Riekkan and Princess Leia of what he had seen. Perhaps they could be of some help, even if they weren't Jedi.

_Break..._

"Missing?" repeated Leia.

"Missing," the Bith man fresh from an espionage mission on Empress Teta confirmed. "According to an official transmission sent to all Imperial bases and outposts, Lord Darth Vader is officially missing in action."

The gathered Rebels shivered, and not just from the cold that permeated every square meter of Echo Base. Any mention of the Emperor's deadly right-hand man was enough to give even the most stalwart member of the Alliance chills. Knowing what the Sith was up to was always unnerving...

But NOT knowing what he was up to was even more frightening.

"Did the transmission indicate how long he has been missing or where he might possibly be?" asked Mon Mothma.

"When the transmission was released, he was three days overdue from his most recent mission. That would make it about..." He paused to consider. "Five days now. As for location, he was last seen a week ago, boarding a shuttle at an Imperial shipyard on Ferron, accompanied by fifty stormtroopers. They, too, seem to have gone AWOL."

The gathered Rebels – Mon Mothma, General Riekkan Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca – exchanged questioning glances. Even though Luke was sure he was the only Force-sensitive in the room, he knew they all sensed something amiss.

"You think maybe he's gone into hiding?" he suggested. "That he could be planning a coup?"

"If he was plotting to overthrow the Emperor, don't you think he would have taken more troops with him?" asked Leia.

"Not if he's already got forces holed up somewhere," Han put in.

"He could very well be dead," Mothma offered hopefully. "Perhaps whatever mission the Emperor sent him on proved to be fatal."

"Speculation does us little good," Riekkan replied. "Lord Vader may be dead, may be injured, may be organizing a revolt. He may be stranded on some desolate world or held captive by someone both very powerful and very brazen. For all we know, he could be manning a sabaac table on Ord Mantell as we speak! But the point remains that we have no idea where he is or what he is doing, and THAT is enough to frighten even this old soldier to the core."

"Best not to let a crystal snake out of your sight, right General?" Han said with an arched brow.

Reikkan smiled grimly. "Exactly. Which is why I suggest we send someone out to find out just what happened to Vader. Not to capture or assassinate him," he added quickly when Leia opened her mouth to protest the wisdom of such an action. "Just to locate him to the best of our ability and ascertain what kind of threat he now poses to the Alliance. I don't know about the rest of you, but I think Vader is more dangerous as a free agent than as a lackey of the Emperor."

"I agree with your assessment, General," Mothma said with a nod. "We must locate the Dark Lord. And in my opinion, it should be Commander Skywalker who goes on this mission."

Luke's head snapped around to face Mothma. "Me?" he asked, startled.

"I would not ask this of you, Commander, if I was certain another member of the Alliance could handle this. But you are a Jedi, and while I understand that your training is incomplete, you are still better equipped and experienced to complete this task than anyone else. I pray that you will not be required to face the Dark Lord... but should it come to that..."

"I'd be more likely to survive," Luke finished for her.

She nodded. "I also think this could be pertinent to the vision you informed us about. After all, Vader has been missing for five days... and you experienced the vision five days ago."

Luke hadn't stopped to consider that. That Vader's disappearance could be linked to his vision...

Red light and pain... had Vader killed someone? Or been killed in turn? The last was too much to hope for; Vader was reported to be nearly impossible to kill. Apparently over the course of the last twenty years he had survived countless battles on land and in space, assassination attempts, and freak accidents. More likely was the possibility that Vader had destroyed a target and was now having difficulty leaving the planet – mechanical problems or the like.

He sucked in his breath. He had no love for Vader, the monster who had killed his father and now helped the Emperor maintain his stranglehold on the galaxy. And he wasn't at all sure he could defeat him in a fight. But the safety of the Alliance depended on this. They had to know what Vader was up to before they could make further plans.

"I'll go," he said at last.

"Thank you, Skywalker," Mothma replied.

"I'll go with him," Han volunteered.

Luke gave Han an incredulous look. "Are you sure, Han?"

"Hey," Han retorted, grinning, "you need someone to watch your back. We all know you're not going to."

"Thank you, Solo, for volunteering." Riekkan handed Luke a datapad. "Information regarding your mission can be found on this. And remember – no heroics. Find Vader and come straight back. Don't kill yourselves trying to be heroes."

"Yes, sir," Luke replied.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The young human male manning the refreshment stand could have used a haircut before being allowed to come to work today, or at least a thorough shampoo. His reddish-brown hair hung in greasy hanks down to his shoulders, and his beard had been trimmed into something resembling a lopsided, scraggly goatee. His work uniform shirt looked to have never seen the inside of a laundering machine in its life, and his pants looked two sizes too big for his body. Han made a mental note to stop somewhere else for a meal after questioning this young man.

"So I bet you see a lot of the action from here," he noted, gesturing behind him. The owner of this stand was no idiot – his business was parked as close to Ferron's Imperial Spaceport as possible without crossing into the actual base and having to surrender a percentage of his profit to the Empire. Not only was his stand the first source of real food and drink that most travel-weary Imperials would see upon arriving, but he could earn money under the table by having his employees broker information to willing parties.

"Oh, plenty," the young man acknowledged, handing two disposable cups of caf to a man in an ensign's uniform. "Not of the fighting type, of course. No one's stupid enough to attack THIS place. Not with two Stardestroyers posted here."

Han nodded, unimpressed. The Stardestroyers _Titan _and _Doomsday _might be prize gems in the crown of the Imperial Fleet, but his easy evasion of both ships might serve to rub a bit of the luster off those jewels.

"Yeah, I'm sure the citizens here feel nice and safe with all these Imperials standing guard over them," Han said with a slight ironic edge in his voice.

The kid missed his sarcasm completely. "Oh, always. No way anything can go down with the Empire keeping order over things. No reason to be scared. Though I tell you, that shuttle that took off from here a week ago nearly made me wet myself..."

"Why's that?" he asked casually, glancing quickly around to ensure the ensign was out of earshot.

The kid pulled out a grimy rag and began wiping the countertop off, abruptly changing the subject. "I'm saving up to join the Academy, you know, but my folks won't pay for my shuttle ticket. And my boss is a credit-pincher, man. I barely make enough to keep my girlfriend happy..."

Han took the hint and discreetly slipped a wad of credits toward the employee. He used the rag to brush the notes into his hand, acting as if he were merely sweeping up crumbs.

"It was Vader, man," the kid continued with a shudder. "With a load of stormtroopers. I saw him. He was_ huge!" _He held a hand over his head in a most likely exaggerated indication of the Dark Lord's height. "Taller than they show in the holos..."

"Vader, huh?" Han replied, arching an eyebrow. "Wonder where he was off to."

"My girlfriend's been wanting a new jacket for ages."

Han sighed and flipped the kid another credit note.

"Couple of his 'troopers stopped here for a bite before they left. Heard one of them – really weird voice, almost sounded like a woman – saying something about a Jedi. Kolton something-or-other. Uh... Nova, yeah, Kolton Nova. Struck me as odd – thought the Jedi were extinct."

Han shrugged. "It's a big galaxy. They could be hiding in weird places."

The kid returned the shrug. "Maybe. Anyway, not my problem." He shoved the rag aside. "Anything to eat, sir? Our tanta-sauce burgers are on sale."

"Not now." One never knew what species the meat at places like this came from. He slid a final credit note at the kid. "If anyone asks, I wasn't here."

"No prob."

Han left the stand and strolled away from the base. The farther he walked, the more he felt himself relax. To him, staying in close proximity to Imperials was always akin to smearing himself in blood and going for a walk in piranha beetle country. The longer business kept him there, the more exposed he felt. And at the moment, when he was on an Alliance mission accompanied by the most wanted man in the galaxy, he felt like someone had plastered a huge casino-style sign over his head that read ARREST ME, I'M A REBEL!

The Falcon was parked a good five kilometers away from the spaceport, inside a crater blasted out years ago by miners in search of ore deposits. Ferron may be home to several Imperial bases and spaceports, but it was first and foremost a mining world, and almost every town, city, and military base was built inside a massive crater left over from some mining project. Some families even built their homes inside smaller craters, simply erecting a roof and some walls and calling it good. This particular crater had evidently been used as an impromptu docking bay many times before, judging from the litter on the floor of the crater and the scraped walls from landings or takeoffs that had cut it way too close.

Luke waited at the entrance as Han jogged up the loading ramp. "What took you so long?"

"Easy, Junior, it's a long walk," Han told him.

"I still don't see why I couldn't go with you..."

"Oh, and have the first Imp who sees you slap cuffs on you and drag you off?" Han rolled his eyes. "For the hero of the Alliance, you aren't that bright."

"Hey!" Luke punched his shoulder. "You're not genius material yourself, pirate."

Chewie barked an inquiry from the cockpit.

"Not much," Han replied. "The locals just confirmed what the Alliance told us – Vader took off a week ago with some troops. Apparently searching for a Jedi named Kolton Nova."

That grabbed Luke's interest. "A Jedi?"

"Yeah. Don't get any high-minded ideas of a rescue mission either, kid. If Vader's half as good in a fight as I think he is, Kolton's probably a smear on a rock somewhere by now."

Luke looked thoughtful. "That would explain the vision... but not why Vader's missing." He turned to Han's portable computer. "Do you have access to the Holonet here?"

"Sure, should be connected," Han replied. "What're you looking for?"

"Information on Kolton Nova. Maybe it can tell us where Vader's gone."

"Good luck," snorted Han. "Kolton Nova's a pretty common name."

Luke typed the name into a search program... and gaped at the list of search results. "Stang! You weren't kidding!"

"Have fun searching," Han smirked, heading to the cockpit. Let the kid do the dirty work. He and Chewie had two Stardestroyers to slip past again.

_Break..._

Two hours later, Luke wanted to bang his head against the bulkhead. He had thought searching for information on a Jedi would be a simple matter. Unfortunately, he had failed to take into account the fact that the Empire made data on the Jedi unavailable to the public. That forced him to search through regular databases – and there were enough Kolton Novas on these databases to populate their own planet.

Kolton Nova, honors student at a university on Chandrila. Kolton Nova, killed in a speeder crash on Corellia. Kolton Nova, arrested for embezzlement on Corusant. Kolton Nova, starring in a new romantic-comedy holovid to be released in a week's time. Kolton Nova Law Firms, Kolton Nova M.D., Kolton Nova Memorial Fund, Kolton Nova Galactic Park... the name Kolton Nova was buzzing through his head so much he thought he would go mad if he found one more person with the name.

_Did Vader have THIS much trouble finding him? _wondered Luke as he clicked on what he swore would be the final link. _Maybe he's not missing after all – maybe he's just out there tracking down and killing every Kolton Nova there is just to be on the safe side..._

He paused as a Holonet page loaded on his screen. Nothing fancy – just a privately maintained page for a small business on Zeltros. Obviously an amateur job, for there were several misspellings and the layout was sloppy, but it got the point across well enough. Under an animated image of two wisperkit cubs wrestling was the heading "Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tails Pet Store – Kolton Nova, Owner – Buying and Selling Exotic Pets For 20 Years." By all accounts, just another of the many Kolton Novas out there...

And yet Luke had a feeling...

Han and Chewie were arguing as Luke entered the cockpit.

"I didn't ask your opinion, fuzzball!" shouted Han. "If you don't like it, maybe YOU can set the coordinates next time!"

Chewie snarled in reply.

"We're not even going to land on Trandosha, we'll just orbit. Quit being so hyper..."

"Han, how far is Zeltros from here?" Luke interrupted.

"Huh?"

"How far is Zeltros? I have a feeling..."

Han raised an eyebrow. "A feeling, kid?"

Luke sighed. Han's skepticism toward the Force hadn't dimmed much in the three years Luke had known him. "Please, Han. Trust me on this."

Han sighed and checked the navicomputer. "About a day's hyperspace travel. Won't take much to alter our course. But this had better be good, kid."

"Why? Is it an Imperial planet?"

"Yeah, but the Empire doesn't bother much with it. But let's just say that Chewie and I aren't exactly welcome to visit."

Chewie barked.

"Okay, so I'M not welcome to visit," Han replied, rolling his eyes.

It was Luke's turn to smirk. "Who caught you cheating at cards?"

"No one." He pointed a finger at Luke. "DON'T ask any more questions, Junior."

Luke laughed. "You don't scare me, Han. Besides, I don't think we'll be there long."

"Let's hope not."

_Break..._

Vader fell to his knees, his teeth clenched to keep a cry of pain choked down. He was a Sith, he was a warrior, he was beyond pain, he would NOT let these creatures have the satisfaction of knowing they were inflicting pain...

His world was jarred into pieces by another heavy blow in the back from what felt like an iron pipe, a blow that knocked what little wind he had left from him. This time he collapsed totally, falling to his side, wheezing painfully. He was only vaguely aware of the figures standing over him, assessing him coldly.

"Bring the droid in," one ordered.

"Sir, he won't survive further..." began the other.

"His vital signs are still good," the first interrupted. "He's still got a lot of fight in him. Besides, we have our orders."

Vader gasped for breath, doing a swift assessment of his own. Both shoulders were afire with pain, most likely from having his arms bound behind his back, and the left one felt dislocated. He was sure most of his ribs were broken from various blows and kicks, and what was left of his flesh-and-blood body felt bruised to a pulp. One cybernetic leg had been shattered midway down the shin, and the right lens of his mask was marred by a bad crack. And worst of all, he still couldn't touch the Force. That last alone was enough to make him feel as if they'd ripped away a vital part of him.

Hands grabbed his arms and hauled him back up to his knees. Before he could react to the fresh pain in his shoulders, a weird hum filled his ears... the hum of an interrogation droid...

His screams rang from the walls, tore across space...

_Break..._

Luke shot bolt upright, crying out in shock. It took him a moment to regain his bearings, to realize he was in his bunk on the Falcon and not in a dark prison cell. He felt cold, colder than he had ever been on Hoth, even though he was slick with sweat.

It had happened again – the vision of pain. And this time it had been far worse. He still couldn't sense the who and why of it, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the situation was becoming more and more urgent. Whoever this was, they needed him, and fast...

An alarm sounded through the ship, and he could hear Han grumbling as he stalked past Luke's room toward the cockpit. They had reached Zeltros right on schedule and would be landing soon. Luke could only hope his premonition was correct and they could act in time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Don't say I didn't warn you, kid," grumbled Han as the burly Whiphid guards shoved him to his knees before the gleaming marble throne.

"You could have told me it was a problem with an old girlfriend and not an Imperial thing," Luke hissed, sinking to his own knees before his own guards could force him there.

Chewie just rolled his eyes in a gesture that suggested to Luke that he'd been through this before.

The chamber Luke now found himself and his friends in was large enough to contain his entire old house in Anchorhead and more opulent than anything he'd ever seen in his entire life. The walls weren't metal or ferrocrete here – the owner had the luxury of real wood, red-brown with a fine grain and carved with fantastic beasts and mighty warriors and gods from the mythology of many worlds. Instead of glowrods or glowpanels, crystal chandeliers illuminated the chamber, and the floor beneath Luke's knees was not metal or stone, but thick transparisteel through which the waters and sea life of Zeltros' oceans were visible. Before the three adventurers, upon a dais of golden wood carved into a giant sunburst, sat a red marble throne padded with white nexu fur.

It was upon this throne that the source of Han's reluctance to return to Zeltros sat, gazing upon them with the leisurely gaze of a krayt dragon trying to decide which of three young bantha calves it was going to devour first. She had the deep blue skin, glossy black hair, and intense ruby eyes of her kind, the Chiss, and her sleek gown of rich emerald-green satin accentuated her unusual skin tone all the more. Her thick hair fell in a straight curtain down to her hips, a silver fillet keeping it from falling into her eyes. Silver arm bands and rings gleamed in the light provided by the chandeliers, and a pearl the size of an egg hung in a pendant at her throat. The knee-high slit in her dress revealed a jet-black boot encasing her slim leg, a boot from which the barest hint of a vibroblade's hilt could be seen.

"You've got a lot of nerve to come back here, Solo," she said with an arched eyebrow.

"C'mon, Kaliska," Han replied with a smile, obviously trying to lay on as much charm as he could. "No hard feelings..."

She turned toward Luke, and she must have noticed the puzzled look on his face. "Do you know who I am, young man?"

"Can't say that I do," replied Luke.

She smiled. "Honest, this one. It's a rare trait anymore." She bowed her head. "Let me properly introduce myself, then. Kaliska. Head of the Nexu's Claw."

"The what?" repeated Luke.

"This sector's biggest crime syndicate," Han put in. "And about the only one that hasn't been swallowed up by Black Sun."

She nodded at the smuggler. "He's perfectly correct. For once."

"Kaliska, look, I'm sorry things didn't work out between us..." began Han.

"You're always sorry," she replied, leaning back in her throne. "Just like you're sorry that you lost that shipment of Jabba's, or that you got yourself expelled from the Academy, or that your little blunder on Ord Mantell got half the capitol blown up..."

Now that was a story Luke hadn't heard yet – apart from something about "a bounty hunter on Ord Mantell."

"And I'm sure you're _extremely _sorry you got your little friend here into this entire mess," she went on, gesturing at Luke with a slender hand. "Poor kid, getting captured by a crime lord at this young age..."

"I've been through worse," Luke replied.

"Oh?" She smiled. "You know, your friend here is pretty cute, Han. What's his name?"

"Look, Kaliska, why don't you let us go?" suggested Han. "Let bygones be bygones and all that... we broke up years ago, after all, and the kid has nothing to do with this..."

She offered him a predatory grin. "I don't forget easy, Han. And it's kind of hard to forget when a guy drops you like a shipment of spice around an Imperial convoy and runs off with a Twi'lek strumpet..."

"She was a police officer, and she was arresting me!" Han protested.

"Rather attractive for a police officer," she noted.

"Look," sighed Han, "if you have issues to work out with me, fine, but at least let Luke go..."

"Luke?" She fixed Luke with a surprised stare. "Your name is Luke?"

Han swore under his breath.

"Luke Skywalker," she smiled, her eyes shining. "The Rebel who blew the Death Star to oblivion. You're a lot cuter than the wanted holos show, you know."

Luke sucked in his breath, feeling his guts churn. "Then you're going to turn me in for the reward?"

"Now why would I do that?" she asked. "I have no love for the Empire. Besides, I like you. You have spunk." She motioned to the guards, who immediately hauled the two men to their feet and stripped them of their cuffs. "Let's have a chat, shall we? Someone bring in drinks..."

Luke rubbed his wrists to restore circulation, then gratefully accepted the glass a droid offered him.

"So tell me your story," Kaliska requested. "What brings you to Zeltros? And how did you end up in this scoundrel's company?"

"That last thing's a long story," Luke replied. "Let's just say I owe him my life."

"I'm sorry, kid," she replied, her voice and face sincere but her eyes dancing.

He laughed. "As for the first... we're looking for someone named Kolton Nova."

She nodded. "I know OF him, but I don't know him personally. Old Zabrak man, owns a small pet store on one of the big islands down south. Pays us so much every month in exchange for my big-game hunters keeping an eye out for exotic critters for him to sell. Strange fellow, from what I hear. Never leaves his home, has to have a neighbor do his shopping..."

Luke smiled a little. Obi-wan had been described as an eccentric by the natives of Tatooine. How many Jedi were in hiding and masquerading as "crazy old men?"

"What business does the Rebellion have with a pet store owner?" asked Kaliska.

"The kid thinks the old man's a Jedi," Han replied. "And that Vader's after him."

She arched an eyebrow. "Jedi? I wouldn't be surprised, Nova's crazy enough to be one... but Vader being after him?"

"You know Vader's gone missing, right?" asked Luke.

She nodded. "A relief, if you ask me..."

"The Rebel Alliance wants to ensure that, wherever he is, he's no threat to us. So we've been sent to locate him and see what he's up to."

"Well, he's not here, I can tell you that much," she replied.

"He's not?" asked Luke. "Are you sure?"

"Sweetheart, my information network is the best in the sector, except maybe the Bothan Spynet," she replied. "If he came to Zeltros, I'd know. Trust me."

Luke and Han exchanged a grim look. Had they come here for nothing? Had they pursued the wrong Kolton Nova? Or had they somehow managed to beat the Dark Lord here... and could expect him soon?

"Let's see this Nova guy," Han said at last. "He might know a little more of what's going on."

Kaliska gestured for them to leave. "Go then. Don't want the old man hurt. Besides, I'm always eager to see someone pull the Empire down a peg, even if it's a loser and a hotshot kid."

"Thank you, ma'am," Luke told her gratefully, bowing.

"You were always a sucker for a cute face," Han grinned.

Kaliska's ruby eyes narrowed. "Watch it, pirate. Don't make me keep you behind for my guards to practice their martial arts on. Which, by the way, I'll let them do if I catch your face in this sector again."

"And you have a good day too," Han muttered.

_Break..._

"So when were you planning on telling me you had an old girlfriend on Zeltros?"

"Look, we broke up years ago," Han shot back. "Not something I like to talk about. It was kind of messy."

"I'll bet dating a crime lord is messy."

"She wasn't a crime lord at the time."

Zeltros' continents mostly consisted of rocky desert, but the islands were pleasant and tropical, so most of the population – and all the tourists – kept to the many archipelagos that peppered the seas. And even those that braved the mainland, such as Kaliska, stayed close to the shore. Luke could understand that – the sight of all that water was amazing, almost overpowering.

At the moment Han, Luke, and Chewie were walking down a side street in a small island town, supposedly where the elusive Kolton Nova they were seeking resided. For the most part their presence was ignored – the locals had more important things to do than gawk at tourists. Children giggled and roughhoused in the streets, and a gang of teenagers engaged in an impromptu smashball game in a vacant lot. An old run-down street-cleaning droid whirred by, coughing out clouds of oily smoke as it trundled past. Seabirds squealed and circled overhead, and from the nearby coast the buzz of a luxury waterspeeder could be heard.

"This is the address," Han muttered, pointing to a small ferrocrete building in bad need of a new paint job. The name of the establishment – Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tails – was declared in fading green paint over the doorway; otherwise there was nothing to indicate this place was anything special.

Luke frowned. Strange. Something about this building set off an alarm in him...

The door opened, and a figure in a stained gray jumpsuit stepped outside to regard them. Looking to be around sixty years old, he had a bald scalp ringed with short hooked horns and piercing gold eyes. A fine pattern of tattoos decorated his face, starting at his temples and curving across his cheekbones. He walked with a definite limp, leaning on a cane for support, but otherwise he appeared to be in excellent health for his age. And when he saw the two Rebels standing outside his shop, he gave a wide grin.

"Come in, come in!" he urged. "Don't get many customers this time of the year..."

Han stepped forward at once. Luke hung back, still unsure. Kolton himself didn't seem to wish them harm, but something about his shop still made him uncomfortable. Could this be a trap...

Chewie turned and barked inquiringly at Luke.

"Coming," he said at last, keeping his hand near his pocket just in case. If Kolton proved to be a danger, at least he would have his lightsaber...

They entered a large room that smelled strongly of animal, and barks, squawks, hisses, and shrieks assaulted his ears from all sides. Cages and tanks lined the walls, exhibiting a variety of creatures from all corners of the galaxy. Some of them Luke recognized – though he wondered why in the galaxy anyone would want a baby womp rat or a Yavin stinger lizard for a pet – but others he couldn't have identified to save his life.

"What can I get you gentlemen today?" asked Kolton. "One of you shopping for a girlfriend? Or you looking for a guard animal of some sort? I have massif pups, just in from Geonosis. If you start young and train them well, you can't ask for a better companion..."

Han wasted no time getting to the point. "We're looking for Kolton Nova."

"You're looking at him. Something I can help you with?"

Luke stared into a large saltwater tank, where two colorful reptiles were circling idly. "What are these?"

"Common sea lizards, native to these parts," Kolton replied. "Great dancers, thrive best in large aquariums. Fifty credits for the pair – they don't do well separately..."

"Actually, I didn't come for a pet," Luke replied, tearing his gaze away from the tank. "I came to talk to you. My name is Luke Skywalker, and I..."

Kolton cut him off with a raised hand. "Maybe it's best if we talk in the back, son."

The shop owner moved to a floor-to-ceiling cage containing several large birds with blue, green, and violet feathers, opened the door, and stepped inside. Once there, he slid a feeder to the side and pressed a button, and a hidden door slid aside to admit him. Luke and Han grinned at Kolton's inventiveness as they ducked inside the cage, careful not to let the birds escape, and followed him in, Chewie close behind.

The minute Luke entered the room, he felt his stomach drop. There were more animals in here, uncaged this time, as well as strange machinery and queer artifacts of all kinds. That wasn't what disturbed him, however – what disturbed him was that the Force was nonexistent in this room. He should have been able to feel Han and Chewie's presence, not to mention Kolton's, but their Force signatures didn't seem to exist. This room was a void in the fabric of the Force, a hidden pocket.

He backed toward the door, but it was already shut and locked.

"Relax, boy," Kolton laughed. "I'm not about to hurt the son of a fellow Jedi."

His jaw dropped. "You knew my father?"

"Not personally, no. But what Jedi didn't know about Anakin Skywalker?"

Stunned, Luke sank into a chair. Kolton, noting his shock, turned to a nearby cooking reactor and poured a cup of caf, handing it to the young Jedi. Luke accepted it and sipped, still slightly dazed by what Kolton had said.

"So you're the Jedi Vader's after," Han noted, seating himself at a table where a device consisting mainly of an energy pack and an oversized satellite dish rested.

"Vader's after me?" inquired Kolton as easily as one might ask about today's weather forecast. "That's news." He poured a second cup for Han, then turned to the Wookie. "Anything for you?"

Chewie shook his head.

"All right then." He nodded at the device Han was sitting by. "You like? Anti-Jedi factions have been working on that for years. By the time they finally perfected it, though, Order 66 had been issued and the need for it became moot. That's the only working prototype that still exists."

"Don't tell me – it keeps Jedi from using the Force," Luke guessed.

"Sort of," Kolton replied. "What it does is creates a field of energy that distorts other energy fields and emissions – the Force, shields, communication lines, even blaster bolts to a slight extent. You could use the Force with that thing activated; it just wouldn't do exactly what you told it to do. You'd likely hurt yourself as well instead of an enemy."

"How far does its range extend?" asked Luke, curiosity overcoming his alarm for a minute.

"Not far, just a block or so," Kolton replied. He gestured around the room. "I've collected a lot of things over the years that block or nullify the Force. Not that I like cutting myself off from it, mind... but the more I can safeguard myself from Vader until he's put out of power, the better."

"He's gone missing," Han replied. "Vanished while looking for you, I guess."

"I find that hard to believe," Kolton said doubtfully. "Vader's a tough one to kill."

Luke found his gaze attracted to a small potted tree next to his chair. "This plant repels the Force?"

"No, son, look in the branches," Kolton replied. "Ysalamiri, a breeding pair. Those are the things that can repel the Force. They're friendly, you can pet them."

Luke spotted one of the creatures, a beast resembling a furred lizard that nuzzled his hand gratefully when he reached out to stroke it. "Master Nova, you said you knew my father."

"I only met him face-to-face once or twice," Kolton corrected. "But he was a legend. And I saw his handiwork at the Battle of Geonosis. Great fighter."

"What can you tell me about him?"

"Kid, this isn't going to get us closer to finding Vader," Han told him.

Kolton ignored Han. "A little headstrong, but a great pilot and warrior. Had a big heart, too. Loved kids." He cocked his head at Luke. "You look a lot like him, you know."

Luke smiled at that... but the smile quickly faded. "Vader killed him. Obi-wan told me that Vader betrayed and murdered him."

That caught Kolton off guard. "Obi-wan lives?"

"He did... but Vader killed him almost three years ago. He taught me about the Force... but I never finished my training."

Kolton shook his head sadly. "I wish I could train you, son, but it's too dangerous. If you want my advice, wait until Vader and the Emperor are put out of power. Then it'll be safe."

An idea struck Luke. "Master Nova, why don't you come back to the Alliance with us? You'd be safe there. And the Alliance can use what you know about the Force – and how to deflect it – to fight Vader and the Emperor..."

He shook his head again, this time as a negative gesture. "You two have a mission to complete. Having me along will just jeopardize things. But I _would _be obliged if you let the Alliance know I"m willing to help them. They can send for me later, when you're not on a sensitive assignment."

Luke nodded. "I'll tell them."

"Now for Vader," Kolton went on. "I have no idea where he could be, so I can't help you there. What I can do, however, is send you with a little help." He walked over to a countertop and picked up a small cage containing three pale-skinned lizards, each no longer than a man's hand and staring out at the world with wide, bright green eyes.

"Lizards are supposed to help us?" asked Han skeptically.

"These will," Kolton replied, grinning. "Jabesh rock lizards. They act like black holes – if someone Force-sensitive is around, they'll draw off his Force powers and absorb them. Later, if they're attacked by a predator, they'll blast the accumulated Force energy at their attacker to confuse and frighten them off."

Luke took the cage from Kolton. "What am I supposed to do with these?"

"Keep them with you," he replied. "Yes, they WILL take some of the edge off of your Force use, so you'll have to work harder to draw on it. But they'll also serve to dampen your presence in the Force, so Vader won't be able to tell you're coming by Force signature alone. What they WON'T do is grant you immunity from his own powers, so be careful."

Luke stared into the cage, and three pairs of green eyes regarded him curiously. "Where do you get all these creatures, anyhow?"

"Most come from my contacts in the Nexu's Claw," he admitted. "But the rock lizards I collected personally from Jabesh..."

That caught his attention. "You've been to Jabesh?"

"A few months ago, yes. Took the ysalamiri with me for protection. Why do you ask?"

Despite the presence of so many Force-nullifying creatures and objects in the room, Luke couldn't help but have a strong suspicion... "He's on Jabesh!"

"How can you be sure, Luke..." Han began.

"He must have found out Kolton Nova went to Jabesh! He went there trying to find him or some clue that he was there, but instead he got stranded there!" The more he talked, the more certain he felt.

"And if he happened to be somewhere where there were a lot of those lizards..." Han realized.

"The more lizards there are in the vicinity, the harder it is for a Force-user to use the Force," Kolton added. "A large enough population of them, and even Vader would be helpless."

A loud crash forced all their gazes to the door. The animals in the shop were in an uproar, their cries almost drowning out the tinny voices that could only be stormtroopers...

_We led them right to him, _Luke realized. _We led the Empire right to Kolton Nova..._

"Get out," ordered Kolton calmly. "Take the back door. Stick to the alleys until you're sure you're not being followed, then fly to Jabesh as fast as you can. I'll keep them distracted."

"Master Nova..." began Luke.

"Don't worry about me," Kolton replied, no trace of fear on his features. "You're more valuable than I am, Luke Skywalker. Get back to the Alliance. They need you." He pulled a lightsaber from a pocket of his jumpsuit and activated it, an emerald green blade hissing forth. "May the Force be with you."

"I'm not leaving..."

"Luke!" shouted Han. "You're no good to the Rebellion dead!"

Reluctantly Luke abandoned Kolton and ran for the back door. They'd barely shut the door before they heard an explosion, the hiss of an energy blade... and blaster fire.

Luke, Han, and Chewie had no time to mourn Kolton Nova's death. They wound through the empty streets, toward the Falcon... and Jabesh.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The lizard darted across the stone floor, its white skin almost luminous in the darkness. It paused briefly to sip from a puddle, then raised its head to regard its queer guest with wide green eyes.

Vader found himself sullenly hating the animal – why, he wasn't entirely certain. Something that might have been a reason teased at the edges of his mind, but slipped away as lightning-fast as the lizard when he tried to grasp it. So he simply continued to let it simmer, taking some scant strength from his anger, a lone candle against black despair and the mind-numbing pain in his back, shoulders, and chest.

The lizard, deciding he wasn't a threat, scurried over to where the Dark Lord knelt on the stone cobbles, only steel manacles fixing his arms to the wall keeping him upright. Vader felt his anger toward the creature begin to boil over as it actually started crawling up his leg. He hadn't the energy to try to shake it off, however. He barely had the strength to raise his head at the sound of footsteps approaching. His captors... more torture? What more could they do to him?

Voices... boots against stone... nothing. Whoever it had been, they had been on different business.

A blur of white crossed his vision. The bold lizard had made it as far as his mask and was investigating the uncracked lens of his mask. Too weak to shake the beast off, he merely slumped his head again, giving the creature free reign.

His moan of pain, of rage, of utmost despair, was almost silent – his tormentors had destroyed his voice synthesizer long ago. But the sound still carried, in a fashion, outside the temple and to a landing freighter...

_Break..._

Luke jerked his head up from reading over a datapad on Jabesh's terrain. There it was again – the pain, the suffering. And it had been close! Weak, yes, but still very close.

He frowned slightly. When learning Vader had been pursuing Master Nova, he had assumed it was Nova's pain he was feeling. Now that he knew Nova had never crossed paths with Vader – and now that he had died at the hands of stormtroopers – he had no idea who could be suffering at Vader's hands now. Was he tormenting one of the locals for information? Was he taking out his anger at being stranded on his own men? Or... he really didn't want to consider this last possibility, but... perhaps it was the Dark Lord himself, injured from a crash or accident, maybe trapped somehow?

Pushing the datapad away, he reached for his lightsaber. The weapon gleamed slightly in the artificial light of the Falcon's passenger hold, battered but elegant, an artifact that had once belonged to his father. His father... who had met his doom at Vader's hands. If it was Vader who was in pain, Vader who needed his help, could he bring himself to help him? Help the Dark Lord, the murderer of his father, the beast who had slaughtered Jedi and so many others without a second thought?

He sighed and clipped Anakin's lightsaber to his belt. He would cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, he just wanted to see what Vader was up to... and hope that, if he had to cross blades with the Dark Lord, luck – no, the Force – would be with him.

Han stepped into the hold and motioned for him. "Luke, we've landed. Let's go."

Luke stood and followed Han and Chewie out of the Falcon. The steel-colored sky overhead ruthlessly poured rain upon them as if seeking to beat them senseless with water, slicking the cobblestones beneath their feet and drenching them to the bone. The instant they disembarked and left the protective shelter of the underside of the ship, Luke's tunic became soaked and clung to his skin and his hair became plastered to his scalp. Han didn't look much better, of course, and Chewie... well, Luke could count himself lucky that he didn't have to share quarters with a co-pilot who smelled of wet fur.

Thick feral jungle walled them in on three sides, almost seeming to herd them toward the foreboding rain-slicked temple ahead of them. The ruins of the edifice were menacing enough, especially to Luke – again he sensed that weird blankness in the Force, all the more emphasized by the life-teeming rainforests surrounding this pocket of void. But there were other sights that chilled the three of them, not the least of which was the tangled wreck of what had once been an Imperial shuttle, now a heap of twisted, blackened metal.

"Stang," muttered Han, approaching the shuttle with blaster drawn.

"The _Amalthea,_" Luke noted, catching sight of the shuttle's name etched onto a half-melted shard of metal that jutted from the mess. "This has to be Vader's shuttle. Do you think he crashed?"

"Looks more like it was bombed while it was still on the ground," Han noted.

Chewie stepped into the forest briefly, then gave an urgent bark.

"What is... holy stang," muttered Han as he caught sight of the white-armored body sprawled in the moss.

Luke felt a chill slide down his spine as he scanned the jungle. Stormtroopers lay scattered throughout the area, their armor gleaming with rain and blotched with char marks from blaster bolts. Some were missing pieces of armor and had already been set upon by the local scavenging beasts; these Luke tried not to look at too closely. Others still clutched blasters, no doubt continuing to fight even in their death throes. But there was no sign of whoever had ambushed the Imperial soldiers, not even a body.

He knelt beside a trooper wearing the shoulder pauldron of commander. This man lay curled in a fetal position, one hand lying limply in the mud, the other wrapped tightly around something – a comm unit, perhaps? – and held close to his face. His armor was black with char, too widespread to have come from a hand weapon. Close by was a blasted-black crater ringed with splintered trees, and Luke realized that this trooper had likely been killed by a thermal detonator blast.

"Who did this to you?" he asked softly, gently prying the item out of his fingers. It wasn't a comm unit, but a recording device.

"Whatcha got, kid?" asked Han.

"Recording of some kind. I guess this man wanted to leave a record of what happened here."

Han glanced at the body. "Woman, kid. That's a woman."

Startled, Luke's gaze went to the body again. He blushed and averted his face – the blast of the explosion that had killed her had also ripped apart her body armor, exposing an indecent amount of skin. While burns marred most of it, there was enough left to identify her gender.

He thumbed on the recording, and the dead woman's voice came to life, weak with pain and half-drowned by pitched battle and screams.

"Commander Leola of Vader's personal troops reporting... augh... I don't have much time left... bastard threw a detonator at us, I was hit by shrapnel and I'm bleeding to death... my men are in chaos now... they can't tell who's friend and who's foe...

"We were attacked by our own comrades... fellow stormtroopers... they seemed to spring out of nowhere and started shooting... some were on their way to the temple, and I fear they were after Lord Vader... what kind of treachery is this...

"Whoever finds this recording, alert the Emperor... possible coup... if Vader's in danger, the Emperor could be as well... is this Rebel work or an attempt at a takeover... never will know now... useless... useless..."

A sick rattle, then the recording fizzled into a series of blasts and screams that finally tapered off to footsteps squelching in mud... then only the drone of rain.

Han sighed and removed his vest, covering Commander Leola with it. Even though the soldier had been an Imperial, serving the enemy, both he and Luke couldn't help feeling some pain at her death, even if they had arrived far too late to halt it.

"Stormtroopers did this?" Luke asked, stunned. "So it was an inside job?"

"It's not like Vader has a lot of friends in the Empire," Han noted. "I'd say someone wanted him out of the picture so they could gain a little more power."

"Or a lot." Luke's gaze moved skyward, as if trying to pick out Imperial Center through the clouds. "She mentioned this could be a coup. Maybe someone's also trying to take out the Emperor as we speak."

"We can hope." Han holstered his blaster. "Well, we came and saw. Now let's go back."

"Go back? Han, we haven't finished our objective..."

"Come on, do you really think Vader survived this? And even if he did, do you really think I'm stupid enough to hang around here when a pissed-off Sith Lord could be lurking around a corner? We know what went down here. Our mission's complete. Now let's get back to the Alliance."

Luke hesitated. Han did have a point. They had been specifically ordered to not endanger themselves needlessly. And to be perfectly honest, he had no desire to encounter Vader face-to-face if he could avoid it.

And yet, there was a queer feeling... like there was something yet he needed to do...

His gaze moved to the temple. "She mentioned Vader went in there. If he's dead, we should at least verify it by finding the body."

Han gaped. "You want to FIND him?"

"The Rebellion gave us a job," Luke told him. "I want to make sure it's done right. What if we report him dead and he comes back later to haunt us?"

Han rolled his eyes. "All right, but if this gets us in trouble, don't say I didn't warn you."

Chewie barked.

"The lizards? Oh, them. Well, go get 'em."

Chewie ducked into the Falcon, then returned carrying the small cage containing the Jabesh rock lizards Kolton had given them. Han helped Chewie hook the cage to his bandolier, then they set off for the temple.

Inside the temple, it was almost totally dark. The damp stone walls seem to absorb all light. Luke ignited his lightsaber to provide some illumination, the pale blue glow sparkling on the pools of water dotting the floor and on the chips of mica embedded in the stone. Han and Chewie crept along behind, weapons drawn.

Further inside, water covered the floor... and the bodies of four stormtroopers lay half-submerged in the shin-deep water, one of them in two pieces. Luke choked back the urge to be sick even as he recognized the handiwork of a lightsaber. Had Vader managed to defeat the troops who had attacked him?

Chewie raised his head slightly, sniffing the air. He growled softly.

"He smells something up ahead," Han translated. "Human, but with cyborg components. He thinks it could be Vader."

Luke took a deep breath, braced himself, and stepped forward, wading around the bodies and plunging ahead through the dark. White lizards fled before his lightsaber... the Force-dampening creatures that made this place a void in the Force and had quite possibly entrapped Vader...

They burst into a chamber about the size of the Falcon's passenger hold, its walls seeming to writhe with carved snakes and lizards, its floor cracked and littered with shards of stone and, strangely, metal. In a corner, someone had heaped random pieces of machinery he couldn't identify right off the top of his head, and against the far wall...

His gut clenched. Vader hung limply from steel manacles that had been bolted into the wall low enough that he could only kneel on the stone floor. His armor was chipped and cracked, his cloak and leather bodyglove in rags, and his left leg a mess of shattered cybernetic components. His leather gauntlets had been worn clear through by his struggles against his bonds, and the tears in his bodysuit revealed ugly wounds and burns, some still bleeding. His breathing rasped weakly, no longer the sinister sound Luke had heard in holobroadcasts, but a faint, whining sound.

Seeming to realize he was no longer alone, he slowly raised his head. He locked eyes with Luke a moment, the cracked lens of his mask regarding him, then he lowered his gaze again.

"Luke..." Han began, entering the room. "What's going... oh, stars..."

Chewie made an exclamation of his own.

Luke stepped cautiously forward, growing a little braver. He was no longer afraid of Vader. The man was harmless now, rendered helpless by the presence of the rock lizards and by whatever his captors had inflicted upon him. If anything, he only felt a strange pity for the man. Whatever had happened...

"Someone has a sick sense of humor," Han muttered, kicking the pile of machinery in one corner. Several chilling items went rolling at the blow – an interrogation droid, a stun baton, a branding tool, and other implements of torture. Luke's gut tightened again.

"Who did this to you?" he murmured, kneeling beside the Dark Lord and repeating the words he had spoken to Commander Leola.

Vader slowly turned his head to face Luke, shaking as if the effort took all his strength. He said nothing, only stared as if trying to memorize the young Jedi's face.

Luke only stared back. The thought that this was a slayer of Jedi, his father's murderer, a dangerous Lord of the Sith never crossed his mind. All he saw here was someone in pain, who needed his help...

"He cannot speak to you, Skywalker."

Vader's head lifted slightly to look over Luke's shoulder. An incredibly faint sound that might have been a snarl of rage issued from the fearsome mask. Luke turned, his saber ready.

A black-cloaked figure stepped into the room, leaning heavily upon a twisted black cane. As Luke watched the shadowy being approach, he caught a glimpse of a pale, malformed face and glowing orange eyes beneath. When the man made eye contact with him, he grinned savagely, like a krayt dragon baring its teeth for the hunt.

"He speaks with a voice synthesizer," the man went on. "My men had it removed some time ago. They were getting tired of his screams."

"You're sick," Luke hissed, standing.

"Not sick, Skywalker." He laughed, a cold clotted sound. "Brilliant."

Luke took an involuntary step back. "Who are you?"

He waved the question away. "No one of consequence, young man. Now the man behind you..." He pointed at Vader with a gnarled finger. "He is a different story."

Vader lunged against his bonds, struggling to reach his captor even though his actions obviously caused him great pain.

"Why did you do this?" Luke wanted to know. "If you wanted vengeance against him, why not simply kill him? Why keep him in pain?"

Again that stomach-turning laugh. "Oh young Skywalker, you have NO imagination whatsoever."

Han and Chewie stepped toward Luke, weapons trained on the intruder.

"I would suggest the two of you stay back," he advised. "This is your friend's business. Not yours."

"Answer the question," Luke ordered, keeping his weapon raised. "Why did you do this to him?"

"To bring you here," he replied simply, as if it were the most obvious answer in the galaxy.

Luke froze, stunned. "Me?"

"Of course. Do you not realize, young Skywalker, that you and Vader share a strong bond? That no matter what distance separates you, no matter how much the Force is dampened in your presences, your link with him cannot be severed? He has always been sensitive to your mind, your emotions, and your pain, unconsciously or not. And you... now that you have begun your own training in the Force, you too can sense his emotions and pain. Even across the galaxy... and even despite the presences of these Force-feeding beasts."

Luke shook his head. "I can't be... it's not possible..."

"And why wouldn't it be, young Skywalker?"

"I'm Jedi. He's Sith. We serve opposite sides of the Force..."

"Should that make a difference?" A suspicious look crossed the black-cowled being's face. "Did not Obi-wan tell you about your father?"

Luke turned to stare at Vader. The Dark Lord was staring fixedly at him.

"He told me Vader killed my father," he said quietly. "Why should that make a difference?"

Another horrible laugh. "Oh no, he didn't kill your father. He IS your father."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Luke stared at the hideous creature before him, unbelieving. What kind of sick joke was this? His father was a Jedi Knight, a great warrior, not a Dark Lord of the Sith! What was this man playing at?

Yet what if he was telling the truth?

_"Darth Vader betrayed and murdered your father..."_

_"He didn't kill your father... he IS your father..."_

Obi-wan's words warred with the creature's declaration, both pounding louder and louder in his mind as if each was trying to drown out the other. Vader had killed his father, Vader WAS his father... he was a Jedi's son, he was Sith's spawn... both couldn't be right, one had to be lying... but which one, WHICH ONE...

"Search your feelings, Skywalker," the horrid being grinned. "The Force may be dimmed, but your bond with Vader remains strong. Sense it now, and learn the truth."

Something inside Luke screamed for him to not listen to this monster, but he obeyed anyhow. He extended his awareness as far as he could, only to encounter a barrier that closed in around him like a black fist. There was a flaw in the shield, however -- a fissure through which the Force snaked in and out in a strange tether, a bond...

Vader's pain registered along that connection -- not only the burning agony of his injuries, but a ragged pain in his soul, a despair and rage that knew no bounds. And deeper still... memories of another life, another name, a woman, a pregnancy, a ripping betrayal...

_I knew who you were the moment we discovered your name, _he sent along their connection, every syllable filled with pain. _I knew you were my son..._

When he turned to face the Dark Lord again, it was to see the man gazing fixedly at him. Before Luke could ask anything, Vader nodded his head once, slowly, before lowering it again in resignation. He knew... Vader knew the truth, and he had confirmed this beast's words.

_No... it can't be..._

"No!" Luke protested, turning toward their captor again. "It's not true! It's impossible!"

"Deny it all you will, Skywalker, but it does not change the facts," came the cool reply. "This man was not always the broken creature you see before you. He was once a great man... a great Jedi Knight."

"Shut up, old man," barked Han, leveling his blaster. "Quit messing with the kid's head before I blow yours to chaos."

He gave a cold, clotted laugh. "Put it away, Solo, before you incur a harsh penalty. Drawing on the Emperor usually means death, you know."

_The Emperor? _This was the Emperor? Vader's own superior had plotted this?

Seeing the confusion on Luke's face, the twisted Sith monarch continued. "There is quite the story behind Anakin Skywalker, young man. And I do hope you're prepared to hear it, because your destiny will become so much clearer once I am through."

"Luke, don't listen to him!" Han shouted. "Kill him and let's go!"

Chewie added a retort.

"No," Luke ordered. "Let him finish." Emperor or not, captive or not, he needed to hear the truth.

"Your father was once one of the greatest Jedi that had ever studied at the Temple upon Corusant," Palpatine told him with great relish. "He was strong in the Force, incredibly strong, with abilities far beyond the average Jedi. But with that power came arrogance. He knew he was ahead of many of his fellow Jedi, even his teachers, and he took that to mean that the laws and Codes of the Order didn't apply to him. He was above such rules, he felt. They did not apply to one so powerful that he was obviously destined for greatness. And so he disobeyed his Master over and over, disregarding direct orders time and again, behaving recklessly. And his foolishness culminated in one bold act of rebellion -- he married your mother, something the Jedi Order forbade."

Luke turned back to Vader. His helmeted head hung to his chest, and along their bond Luke felt the cold, keen knife of guilt that sliced into the man's heart. The Emperor spoke the truth.

"Your mother, Padme, was all your father ever could have wanted -- beautiful beyond measure, strong and clever, yet kind and sensitive as well." His lip curled, as if he couldn't understand the benefits of such qualities. "They would have been quite happy together, even if their illicit marriage had been discovered. And when Anakin received the news that Padme was pregnant, it seemed he had everything he needed to be happy.

"But your father craved something else, young Skywalker -- power. The power of the Force, but not of the light side. For there are far greater powers to be had of the dark side, some considered unnatural. Your father desired these for himself, lusted for them with all his heart..."

Vader growled low in his throat. Indignant rage began to pour through their connection...

"Don't deny it, former apprentice," the Emperor snarled. "You wanted the power of the dark side. You craved it. You came to me and begged me to take you on as your apprentice, even slaying a Jedi Master who sought my life in order to ensure that I could teach you my secrets."

Vader shook, then dropped his head in shame. The rage died away.

"At my behest Anakin helped me set Order 66 in motion -- the order to destroy the Jedi Order. While clone troopers mowed down their Jedi generals on battlefields across the planet, Anakin went for the heart of the Order, the Jedi Temple itself. He wielded the saber that struck down hundreds -- no, thousands -- of Jedi within the walls of the Temple... including children. Knights, Masters, students, teachers, healers, scholars, younglings, infants... all met their doom at his hands. And the very lightsaber you hold now is the weapon he used to spill their blood upon the Temple floors."

Shocked, Luke stared at the weapon. His father's legacy, given to him by Obi-wan, was a tool of butchery?

"And as if he hadn't wreaked enough damage," Palpatine leered, "he committed a final atrocity, a final barbaric act that cut him off from the light forever. When his beloved Padme came to him, even in her pregnant state, and pleaded with him to renounce the dark side, he killed her."

The previous revelation that Vader was his father had been a punch to the gut. But this... this was an even harsher blow. His _mother..._

"It was a miracle you survived, young Skywalker," Palpatine grinned. "Only through the will of the Force and Obi-wan's swift intervention were you born before the injuries your father inflicted upon your mother took their toll. It's almost as if the Force had some _purpose _for keeping you alive, Skywalker, some mysterious reason..."

He whirled to face Vader, unbelieving. His father couldn't have... Vader might be evil, but surely he couldn't be that low, to kill the woman he loved...

The cyborg kept his head lowered, not daring to look the young Jedi in the eye. His shoulders jerked with silent sobs. Guilt and self-loathing rolled from him in a black wave that Luke felt even with his sensitivity to the Force so deadened. It was true, then. Vader had murdered his own wife... and Luke's mother...

An awful fire, black and cold, ignited in his chest.

"This man destroyed your family," the Emperor went on. "He turned his back upon you and your mother in order to pursue the power of the dark side. He has the blood of millions upon his gloves... including your mother's. He is not worthy to look upon your face, Skywalker, and call you son."

The flames of hatred flared, but darker and colder rather than brighter and hotter. Obi-wan was right -- Vader HAD betrayed and murdered his family. Thanks to Vader's selfishness and power-lust, Luke had been virtually orphaned. He would never know his true parents, never know what his mother looked like, never feel her presence... nor would he ever know the Anakin Skywalker that Obi-wan had called friend, never know the true face of his father...

"He must pay for his crimes," the Emperor hissed. "In blood."

Luke turned to glare at the monarch. "You want me to kill him?"

The Emperor gave a slick smile. "You, of all people, have suffered more betrayal at his hands than anyone else in the galaxy. The Jedi merely died. The people of Alderaan merely died. The lower officers he throttled so casually merely died. Their pain has ended. You, however, lost your family. And nothing can heal that wound." He gestured toward the broken Dark Lord. "Thus, it is appropriate that you strike him down."

Luke turned back to Vader, who was again gazing upon him. He barely heard the Emperor's blood-chilling laugh, barely heard Han and Chewie shouting protest. Only Vader commanded his thoughts, his senses. Only Vader existed. Only Vader mattered.

He raised the blue-bladed lightsaber, pointing it at the man's throat. Vader only held his gaze, not even shrinking back from the blade that was mere centimeters away from decapitating him, his mask illuminated by the eerie pale blue glow.

_Kill me, _he sent along their link, his voice dark and heavy with an overwhelming despair. _I deserve nothing less. Just end it..._

Luke was more than happy to comply. But there was one more thing he had to know.

"Why?" he demanded, his voice a deadly whisper. "Why did you do this? Why did you kill my mother and deprive me of a father? Was the dark side really worth it?"

Vader was shaking from the effort of keeping his head raised, but he never broke eye contact. _The Jedi could not help me... I saw your mother die in a vision and I knew they would not help me save her even if they could... they forbade marriage and would have thrown me from the Order and tarnished Padme's name had I gone to them for aid..._

Luke pulled the saber back a few centimeters, puzzled.

_Palpatine hinted at the powers of the dark side, saying they could save the dying... and when he revealed himself as a Sith, I believed I could learn from him how to save Padme... I was more than willing to become his servant if he would help me save my beloved and the child she carried... even willing to destroy the Order I had served for half my life..._

The cold anger in his chest flickered, weakening. The saber fell to his side. Vader had wanted to save Mother, not kill her? But then how...

_Obi-wan survived Order 66, and I feared he would turn Padme against me... and when he and Padme arrived aboard the same ship to confront me, I believed he had succeeded... in my anger I throttled her... and in dueling Obi-wan I was shattered, scarred forever..._

Through their link Luke could almost see and feel that horrific event -- and even though the Force was diminished here, he still nearly screamed aloud at the terrible burning pain, the sudden numbness in his arms and legs, the stench of charred flesh and burned hair...

_When Palpatine rescued me and pieced me together again, he revealed I had killed Padme... and that I was still bound to my part of the deal... I had lost my beloved and child and gained only slavery to the Emperor..._

His head slumped to his chest again. _Death will be welcome after all I have endured... and stars know I am deserving of it... please, kill me now..._

Luke stared a long time at the Dark Lord, stunned at his revelation. The Emperor had told the truth, but a twisted version of it, painting Vader as a sociopathic power-glutton. Vader, too, had delivered the truth, but a far more honest one, one not absolving him of guilt but at least explaining his actions. And if he could feel remorse for what he had done, if he could feel this much pain remembering what he had done... he was no monster.

Luke extinguished his lightsaber. "I won't kill you, Father."

The Emperor curled his lips back in a snarl. "Skywalker, you'll never get this chance again..."

"This chance to what?" Luke demanded. "To slaughter a wounded and chained man? No thanks."

"He destroyed your family! He killed your mother and would have killed you too! He abandoned you on a cesspool of a planet while he amassed power for himself! He deserves to suffer, to die..."

Luke shook his head. "I don't deny that he did those things. But that doesn't give me license to sink to his level."

The Emperor's face was a hideous mask of rage for a brief moment. Then a terrifying grin replaced the expression as an elegantly crafted lightsaber slid from his robe's sleeve and landed in his clawlike fingers, igniting with a sinister hiss. "One Skywalker will die today, young one. I give you the choice -- the death of the elder by your hand, or the death of the younger by MY hand. Choose wisely."

Luke lit his own weapon and raised it, ready to parry should the Emperor attack. The Emperor's true intentions, and the means by which he would accomplish them, were frighteningly clear now. He had entrapped his own apprentice in this Jabesh temple, knowing it to be both remote and populated with enough rock lizards to prevent him from drawing on the Force, but not enough to sever the mental link Vader shared with his son. He had tortured the man relentlessly, using his pain as a beacon to draw Luke here. And now, he would have Luke kill Vader in hatred in order to breed rage and despair in his soul, in order to acquire an apprentice deeply meshed in the dark side.

Luke had no intention of joining the dark side. By now he had seen enough of the effects of the black power for himself to want no part in it. And besides, if Palpatine could cast aside the servant who had been loyal for over twenty years, how disposable would Luke be under his dominion?

He would rather die than be the Emperor's slave, he decided. He held his saber ready, waiting for Palpatine's attack...

But Han acted first. Without thinking he flung the closest object handy -- the cage containing the Jabesh rock lizards Kolton had given them.

The Emperor was by no means immune to the effects of the lizards, so he had no Force-powers to block the object. But he had his lightsaber, and this he used to take a clumsy swipe at the cage as it hurtled for his face. The blade met its mark, searing through the thin bars as easily as a candle melted spiderwebs.

Luke's vision exploded in a riot of light and color, and his ears filled with a multitoned roar he was hard-placed to describe. He dropped his lightsaber and clapped both hands to his head in an effort to drown out the sensory overload. It was no use -- the rock lizards' released energy still poured through him, wreaking havoc with his senses. The rock lizards hit the floor, stunned, and skittered off, though they continued to vent the storm of the Force they commonly unleashed when badly frightened. And their fear only set off a terrible chain reaction as every other lizard in the Temple released its own energy in response to their fright, creating a maelstrom of power that threatened to overwhelm sanity.

The Emperor screamed, clawing at his own face as the flood of power overwhelmed his nerves. His eyes were mad with pain and rage...

And suddenly an ebon hand was at the monarch's throat, a hand clad in black leather so tattered his cybernetic components were visible, the wires and servomotors badly damaged from having been jerked out of a steel manacle by intense force alone. Vader stood shakily before his master, threatening to topple any moment, but his defiant gaze upon the Emperor never wavered at all. Palpatine's eyes bulged, not from the grip on his neck, but from recognizing that his apprentice was no longer the subservient creature he had lorded over for two decades, but a dangerous enemy.

Without his voice synthesizer, Vader could only manage a weak whisper. But his next words could not have carried more force or anger had the synthesizer been in proper working order:

"Do with me what you will... but don't you DARE threaten my son..."

The Emperor clawed wildly at the hand at his throat, all thought of Luke forgotten... and Luke took advantage of the distraction to move in and strike the fatal blow.

Again Palpatine screamed, and electricity sputtered from his hands as he writhed in his final agonies. Vader held him tightly until he had breathed his last, then dropped the body.

Father and son stared at each other for a moment that seemed to be a millennium, both overwhelmed by what the other had done for them. Then Vader groaned and collapsed on the spot, wheezing in pain and exhaustion.

_Break..._

"...so we loaded him onto the Falcon and treated him as best we could," Han finished. "There was a whole lot of damage, though, so there wasn't much we could do but clean and wrap it up and keep him comfortable."

Mothma was silent over the Falcon's holocomm unit. When she spoke again, her voice was as serene as ever, as if she hadn't just received news that the Emperor was dead and Lord Vader was en route to the Rebel base. "I thought I warned the two of you to not endanger yourselves needlessly."

"Yeah, try telling the kid that," Han muttered.

Mothma almost smiled at that. "Right. That is a warning he is not likely to heed. And once he chose to get involved, I must say he acted commendably." Her voice became serious. "Who else have you told about his relation to Darth Vader?"

Han snorted. "We're in hyperspace. No one to tell besides Chewie, who knows already, and the ship's computer, which wouldn't give a kriff anyhow."

"Knowing Vader is Skywalker's father is startling news. And I would rather not have it flouted about the base. It could demoralize many of our troops, and if they chose to defect, it could cripple us. The war is not over yet, Solo, and we need soldiers." Her expression softened slightly. "And Luke deserves privacy regarding his past."

Han nodded. "Understood, ma'am."

"Good. Get some rest, Solo. I'm sure you need it. And alert us if anything else happens."

"Ma'am... what's going to be done with Lord Vader?"

"Medical staff will take him as soon as you land. Once he has recovered... we will see how things progress from there."

"All right."

"May the Force be with you."

Han disconnected the comm and stood. "Take the controls, Chewie."

Chewie barked affirmatively.

In the passenger hold of the Falcon, Vader had been strapped down to a bunk and was surrounded by what little outdated medical equipment Han kept aboard the Falcon. Luke sat by his side, busy changing a bandage that covered a horrible burn just below the shoulder. Han cleared his throat, and Luke glanced up quickly.

"Is he coherent?" asked Han.

Luke shook his head. "He's been out since the Emperor died."

Han stared at the ebony mask for a long time. "I told Mothma, kid. Thought she should know."

Luke nodded. "Yes, she should know. Leia too. Other than that... no one else. Not right now."

"Okay, I'll respect that." His gaze moved to Luke's face now. "Kid, I know he's your father. But the Emperor was right -- he's killed a lot of people. Why... why did you help him?"

Luke sighed and turned back to the wounded Dark Lord. "Because he was in pain. He needed me. I couldn't deny him, not even knowing who he was. And if I had killed him... I would have lost my father again."

Han snorted. "He's not exactly Father of the Year material, kid."

"I know. But he's still my father. And there are things I want to know."

Han wasn't sure if he understood, but he was willing to give the kid the benefit of the doubt. After all, he was usually right about things like this.

"I'm going to bed. Wake me up if anything goes wrong."

"I'll do that. And Han... thanks for helping me."

"No problem."

As Han ducked out and headed for his sleeping quarters, he could only think of the unlikely extra passenger on the Falcon... and that things were bound to get a LOT more interesting among the Alliance once they returned to Hoth.


	6. Epilogue

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, so I thought Chapter 5 was going to be the last one… I went back and reread Chapter 5, and I realize I ended things way too abruptly. So I've opted to add this epilogue in an effort to wrap things up a little more neatly. Of course, that doesn't rule out a possible sequel…_

**Epilogue**

_The Tusken charged him, howling in berserk rage, gaderffi gleaming in the moonlight. He bore his teeth in a feral snarl of rage as he drew his own weapon back and slashed with all his strength, slicing through the creature's neck and felling it. A second leaped to its feet, scrabbling for its projectile pistol, but a thrust to the chest pierced its heart. Black fire seared through his veins as he whirled on the next…_

Luke shot bolt upright, gasping for breath. It took him a few minutes to ascertain that he was still in his bunk in Echo Base and not in the center of a Tusken encampment on Tatooine, having just witnessed his mother's – no, his _grandmother's _– death. Once he had calmed down, he wriggled out of the thermal wraps and tugged on his boots.

_Father's must have had another nightmare, _he thought. _I wonder what woke him up from it…_

No one roused as Luke threw on some clothes and ducked out, jogging down the halls toward the medbay. Then again, Luke doubted any of the Rogues would have awakened had he set off a thermal detonator in the room. They had just come back from a mission in the Ryloth system, defending the relatively unprotected system from another fragment of the Imperial fleet, and they were totally exhausted from both the fighting and the subsequent victory celebration.

In the two weeks following the Emperor's death on Jabesh, the entire Empire seemed to have fallen apart. Without a leader at its helm, the once seemingly invincible regime had disintegrated into warring factions, each led by a power-hungry warlord seeking to rule the galaxy for himself. The separate factions seemed perfectly willing to destroy each other rather than crush the Rebel Alliance, and consequently the Rebels focused their energy on keeping innocents out of the crossfire rather than directly fighting the splintered Imperial fleet.

Luke himself had led three such defensive missions so far, and he knew he could expect many more in the future. The Rebellion still had its work cut out for it.

But at least now there was an end in sight. Thanks to Darth Vader.

Thanks to his father.

When he got to the med center, he saw Mon Mothma at the door. He skidded to a halt and saluted.

She laughed. "At ease, Skywalker. It is I who should be saluting you, you know."

He blushed. "I'm not the only hero, Lady Mothma. If it wasn't for Han or my father, the Emperor would still be harassing the Alliance."

"You underestimate yourself, Skywalker. You proved yourself a Jedi on Jabesh. You showed mercy to one seemingly undeserving of it… and you brought us a powerful ally."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "So that means…"

"I just spoke with Vader a few minutes ago," she replied. "He has agreed to join the Rebel Alliance."

Luke snorted. "That'll go over big with High Command."

"We have allowed many Imperials to join our ranks," she countered. "To deny Vader a place among us would be hypocrisy. And if he desires to help us, if only to make restitution for his crimes, then why reject him?"

Luke felt himself relax. He had feared the Alliance would choose to put Vader on trial for his crimes – and some had indeed wanted to do just that. At least Mothma had proven to be a voice of reason.

"How is Princess Leia taking the knowledge of your… lineage?" asked Mothma.

Luke sighed. "She says she's fine with it… but she doesn't want to discuss it. I get the feeling it still bothers her."

"As well it should. You know she suffered much at his hands. I'm simply glad she hasn't chosen to defect over the knowledge. If we lose her, hundreds of men will follow."

"Luke?" came a deep, vaguely electronic inquiry from within the medbay.

Mothma stepped aside. "Go to your father. He needs you."

"Thank you, my Lady," Luke replied, and he entered the med center.

Vader was sitting up in bed, his gaze fixed upon a blank spot on the ceiling. The medical droids had done a superb job of healing his wounds despite the many complications presented by his cybernetic components. Due to his half-machine nature, a complete bacta submergence had been out of the question, so the droids had kept him in bacta wraps to mend his burns and outer injuries. It had taken several delicate operations to repair the damage done to his internal organs, both organic and cybernetic, and several more to install new prosthetic limbs in place of his shattered arms and legs. Even his mask had been repaired, and it gleamed even in the faint light of the med center like a beacon.

Luke sat down next to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been trampled by banthas," groaned Vader.

"You must be doing better," Luke noted. "Yesterday you said you felt like you'd been trampled by reeks."

Vader gave a slight laugh, then fell silent. Luke waited a moment for his father to reinitiate conversation, but when nothing happened he spoke up himself.

"Mothma says you've joined the Alliance."

Vader nodded slowly. "It is the least I can do to pay for my crimes."

"We'd be glad for your help. There's a lot you can teach us about how the Empire works."

"Indeed there is." A pause. "Luke… why did you save me back at the temple? Why were you so willing to protect me from the Emperor, even before you knew I was your father?"

Luke didn't even have to think about his answer. "You needed me. I couldn't deny you help. I couldn't deny anyone help. It's not the way I was raised."

Vader turned his head to look Luke in the eye. "Yet you believed I had killed your father."

"In the end, that didn't matter. I didn't see a killer when I saw you chained to the wall. I just saw a wounded man who needed my help."

Vader looked away. "You are a better man than I ever was, Luke."

Luke placed a hand on his father's arm. "Father… please don't drag yourself down like this. There is still good in you. Much good. I know there is."

Vader gave a slight laugh. "You have your mother's heart, my son."

Luke had to smile at that. "Tell me about her."

"Very well. You'd better get comfortable. This is a long story."

Luke settled back in the chair. "It's worth it."

**Author's Note**

Sharp-eyed readers have pointed out that Zeltros is an "official" Star Wars planet. To you readers -- good eyes! I honestly thought no one would know of its existence, seeing as I randomly picked it off of the map of the Star Wars galaxy that hangs on my bedroom wall (I pick a lot of my planets that way, actually). Ferron is an original world, however, and its name is derived from the Latin _ferrus, _meaning "iron," which fits its description as a mining world. Jabesh is also original, and despite its stormy climate, its name is Hebrew for "dry" (no, really).

Commander Leola was named by Katherine, a reader of my blog who placed in my story contest in March and won the chance to name a character. She submitted a list of names, and I selected Leola (Latin for "lioness") for this purpose. The concept of Vader preferring a female commander for his troops over a male has nothing to do with a potential Mary Sue-ish romance -- Vader/Anakin has always been one to flout custom, and placing a woman in a high-ranking position in a very sexist Empire seemed a fitting way for him to figuratively thumb his nose at authority.

Kaliska's name is Miwok Indian for "coyote chasing deer." No significance behind Kolton Nova's name -- it just sounded cool. His pet shop, "Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tails," however, has some significance. I work at a library, and the theme for the Summer Library Reading Program at many libraries in our area was "Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tales." I liked the name, and it decided to surface while I was writing this fic.

There are several instances of Force-invisible animals and aliens popping up in the Star Wars Universe, the Yuuzhan Vong and the ysalamiri being the most obvious examples. Others include Toydarians, who apparently are unaffected by mind tricks, and taozins, centipede-like monsters from the novel _Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter _who are invisible in the framework of the Force. For "Lean On Me," I decided to develop a completely unique animal, one that operated along a slightly different principle from the ysalamiri (the ysalamiri repel the Force in their vicinity, unlike the rock lizards who absorb the Force in their vicinity).

As for the title, yes, it comes from the song by Bill Withers, which is one of my favorites and was a strong influence on this fic.

Thank you for reading, and may the Force be with you.


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